


Unlimited Potential

by eerian_sadow



Series: tf summer gift exchange [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: HEADCANON AHOY, Happy AU, M/M, Pre-War, Science Rules, tf summer gift exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 06:58:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7629847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starscream and Skyfire are preparing for an offworld expedition. Assuming they can get the funding, that is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unlimited Potential

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skywinder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/gifts).



> This piece is a mishmash of canon elements from the 1984 G1 cartoon and IDW's ongoing Transformers comics. At its heart, it's a G1 AU, but certain details have been borrowed from IDW to lend richness to the story. There's also a LOT of headcanon and off-screen worldbuilding that I couldn't shoehorn in and meet the deadline. I'll probably come back to this AU someday, but until I do, please feel free to ask questions if they pop into your head.
> 
> Also, this is a self-beta job thanks to a huge time crunch, so if you spot glaring errors, please point them out.

_”I cannot think how to begin this report,” he said, drumming his stylus on the table in irritation. “I want it to sound as grand as our findings, not like one of dreadful academy papers.”_

_“Yes,” his partner agreed with a smile, “but given your reputation, I believe facts and a dry academy paper might be the best course. You don't want to give them even more reasons to dislike you.”_

_“I hate it when you're right.” He drummed the stylus a few more time before finally setting the tip to the datapad. “Do you want first credit or second?”_

_“Everyone wants first credit, my Star. But you may have it. It will be something they cannot take away without looking petty.”_

 

Skyfire came online to the sound of a keyboard tapping. He had gotten unused to the sound since Starscream had graduated and it roused him from recharge more quickly than a simple alarm would have. Blearily, he turned his head and peered at his partner.

“Star? What are you doing?”

Starscream looked up from the computer station in the corner, face lit by the dim blue glow of the cheap monitor. For a moment, Skyfire felt bad about not being able to afford an upgraded unit for the Seeker’s research; xenobiology needed better pixel density than the mathematics and chemistry that made up his own specialized field. “I am rewriting my research proposal for next research budget cycle. Since they have yet to approve one of my proposals the first time I submit it.”

“Starscream, I know the Board has some sort of prejudice against you and the warframes that are currently enrolled at the academy, but they haven’t even had time to look over _our_ proposal.” The large mech sat up and stretched, working the stiffness out of his joints. A new recharge pad would be their next expense, after the upgraded computer terminal. “Besides, I thought that Perceptor told you that this proposal was almost guaranteed to be approved for the grant?”

“Well, when he said that, he was the only one who realized yours wasn’t the only name attached to it.” The smaller mech flicked his wings. 

“And this is the first time we have submitted a joint proposal. Have some faith.” Skyfire took the two steps across the room to the computer station and rested a hand on his lover’s shoulder. “We both know that the Board likes me, for some reason.”

“They like you because you’ve successfully completed five projects that resulted in new ways to harvest or refine energon.” Starscream turned away from the larger mech. “Your field is _useful_. Mine is practically a novelty.”

“Your field is incredibly useful, especially if we ever plan to branch out into the larger galaxy again. Without xenobiology we will never be able to properly cohabitate on or colonize other planets. Star, I don't think even Perceptor knows half as much as you about organic life or--”

The computer pinged cheerfully, interrupting Skyfire and letting the scientists know they had received a message.

Starscream frowned and opened it. Then, as he read the glyphs, his expression morphed into shock. “They want to meet us and discuss the proposal.”

“That isn’t normal?” Skyfire had met the Board of Scientific Minds before all of his proposals were approved or denied funding.

“Not for me it isn’t. The first rejection is always just a message. And usually the one after that, too.”

“I told you to have faith, Star.” Skyfire leaned down and kissed his partner on the head. “My schedule is free until that lecture tomorrow. Tell them we can meet whenever it’s convenient for you.”

“So, Immediately, then.” Starscream smirked at the large mech.

“Primus, at least let me have some fuel first.”

 

“Starscream of Vos.” The head of the Board of Scientific Minds glared down at him from his raised platform. “The Board did not anticipate a proposal from you so soon, after your last project’s failure.”

Starscream’s wings flicked angrily, but Skyfire’s calming hand kept him from screaming, or launching himself at the pompous aft with weapons drawn. “My project did not fail, Director. My funding was suspended. At your request, as I understand it.”

“Star, don’t antagonize him!” Skyfire hissed softly.

“Your project lasted the better part of a vorn and returned little useful data and none of your supposed revolutionary energy production.” The director waved his hand dismissively. “Of course I ordered your funding cut. Any true scientist would understand.”

The Seeker scowled and opened his mouth to reply, but a red and teal mech seated at the end of the platform stood up.

“Any true scientist would undoubtedly also understand that results do not spontaneously appear in a handful of solar cycles or within a single vorn. Should I anticipate my own funding to be cut off at the after three quarters of a vorn as well, Culture, given its similar nature to Starscream’s previous project?” Perceptor gave the head of the Board a pointed look and Starscream bit his lip to keep from saying anything that would make things worse for his friend.. “Or is that something you reserve for mechanisms that you believe are beneath you in social standing?”

The murmured hum that had been building as the red mech spoke fell silent. For several moments, there was no sound but the soft whirr of ventilation systems as none of the Board dared to even move.

Then Director Culture turned and focused an enraged glare on Perceptor. “Do not think that your elevation to the senior membership in the Board gives you special preferences, Perceptor. You will do well to remember your place as the youngest among us.”

“If biological age is a determining factor for any position on the Board of Scientific Minds, I believe that you must bow to Quark’s greatly superior age.” Perceptor let the other mech sputter. “And you have yet to satisfactorily answer the question I asked.”

“Yes!” Culture roared. “I am cutting your funding and I am denying those gutter crawling warframes any credits they ever ask today or in the future!”

“I see.” Perceptor nodded. “If you will accompany me, Starscream, Skyfire. I believe we have an appeal to make to Senator Shockwave and the Committee on Energy Production.”

Skyfire blinked at the normally unassuming red mech as he stepped down of the platform, but he didn’t resist as Starscream grabbed his hand to tug him along with Perceptor as they marched out of the room.

As the doors slammed closed behind them, the Board of Scientific Minds _exploded_ into a chorus of shouting.

“Forgive me,” Perceptor said, once they were several meters down the hall. “I simply could no longer stand to watch him treat you so badly. It was not my intent to ruin or delay your trip offworld.”

“It will be worth it, when we get to watch Shockwave put _Director_ Culture in his place.” Starscream smirked. “What’s a solar cycle or two when we’ve got that to look forward to?”

After several more steps, Skyfire finally overcame his shock. “What will the appeal process include?”

“It is really quite simple,” Perception replied. “I had to file one on behalf of Wheeljack during our final term at the academy, when his project was denied for being too resource heavy. We simply file a complaint against the opposing party, turn over a copy of our memory files of the relevant events and wait for the Senator and the committee to review the incident. They may ask additional questions of us, and will also verify Culture’s side of the event. However, we will have a history of discriminatory actions to offer as proof along with this most recent incident. I do not believe that Director Culture will remain a problem for much longer, to the relief of most everyone on the board.”

“What do you mean?” The shuttle asked.

“The director has been declining any proposal that does not fit his own interests or those of the company currently paying his secondary salary. As you can imagine, that is causing no small amount of friction among the members of the board.”

“That… explains a great deal.” Skyfire sighed and looked at Starscream. “I hate when you’re right, you know.”

Starscream smiled and bumped his larger lover affectionately with one shoulder.

 

Senator Shockwave stared at Starscream and Skyfire, the purple mech’s expression unreadable thanks to his single-optic facial construction. His lack of standardized faceplates was almost unnerving, and the Seeker squirmed a bit as the other mech examined them. Skyfire simply stood, eternally patient in contrast to the smaller mech.

“Tell me,” the senator finally said after several kliks had passed, “About your project proposal.”

“Our project?” Skyfire asked evenly.

“I thought you would want to talk about _Director_ Culture,” Starscream added with an angry flick of his wings.

“Former Director Culture should be receiving news of his dismissal at this moment,” the purple mech told them. “His actions, as recorded by the auditorium’s systems and your own memory files, spoke eloquently enough. After reviewing his behavior recently and regarding past projects, I am conducting a review of all projects that were denied initial funding or had their funding stripped before completion. So, please, tell me about your latest proposal.”

“Skyfire has a theory that certain organic bacterial lifeforms produce waste products that carry enough potential energy that it could be converted into energon,” The Seeker replied quickly, before the senator could change his mind--and also preventing any additional questions Skyfire might have had. “It follows closely enough to my own theory about certain organic bacteria being able to survive off our own waste products that we felt we could conduct our research jointly.”

“And what inspired these theories of yours?” Shockwave looked from the Seeker to the shuttle.

“Data that I collected for Starscream while I was conducting research for the solar collection nets in use now on Moonbase 1,” Skyfire told him. “My partner is rarely given enough funding to travel offworld with me, and so I bring his probes and collect what data I can and we analyze it together when I return.”

“And what do you hope to accomplish if your project returns positive results?”

“Even if the potential energy research turns out to be ineffective, Starscream and I are both certain that the bacteria will be invaluable in cleaning up areas that are too poisoned to mine for planetary energon.” The white and red mech shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the first indicator he had given that he was growing nervous as the interview dragged on.

“That would be invaluable, as you say. However, I am concerned that you asked for so little in funding.” The purple mech glanced down at a datapad and tapped a button. “This grant would be unable to fund more than a handful of days on site.”

“Skyfire and I are used to stretching our funds. We can do things with twenty thousand credits that you could never even imagine.” Starscream crossed his arms and dared the other mech to contradict him.

“I have no doubts about your financial acumen.” Shockwave looked back up at them. “You have accomplished extraordinary things with very little funding. However, I believe that promising research deserves support proportional to its potential. Please examine the terms of this funding contract and tell me if you find them agreeable.”

“A funding contract?” Starscream snatched the datapad out of Shockwave’s hand as the senator extended it. Skyfire leaned over his shoulder as he studied it. “How negotiable is this… security contingent?”

“On a deep space venture funded by the Department of Energy, they are non-negotiable.”

“Just checking.” The Seeker looked up at his partner. “Will you even be able to carry all this equipment they’re loaning us?”

“As long as I don’t have to carry the security team too.” Skyfire looked up at the purple mehc and gave him a genuine smile. “Senator, we can’t thank you enough.”

“If your research develops as expected, it will be I who cannot thank you enough.”

 

To their surprise, Perceptor and Shockwave arrived on the departure pad as the day cycle lights began coming on to simulate dawn. Following moments behind them were four heavily armored mechs wearing the emblem of the planetary guard.

“Looks like he was serious about the security team,” Starscream said softly. “And here I was, hoping we would have a nice, private little offworld interlude.”

“As if you would be focusing on anything besides your research once we land.” Skyfire looked down at the Seeker with a teasing smile. “I should probably just hook you up to a fuel drip now so that you don't starve yourself into stasis lock.”

“Hmph. You would, too.” the white, red and blue mech gave his partner a pout and stepped away to greet Shockwave and Perceptor. “Gentlemechs, I'm flattered that you've come to see us off.”

“Of course I came to see you off!” Perceptor smiled widely at the Seeker. “This is your first offworld project since we volunteered for that mineral study with Beachcomber on Lithone when we were in our first year of the Academy! Such an event deserves a proper send off!”

“I agree,” Shockwave said. “Any offworld expedition deserves both an appropriate send off and assistance loading their supplies.”

“I find it hard to believe that a senator would lower himself to loading supplies.”Starscream crossed his arms and glared, all good humor vanishing as he stared. “What do you really want?”

If Shockwave was offended, he didn't show it. “I find the occasional round of manual labor helps distract me from the tediousness of my position. In truth, however, I had hoped to discuss your research more before your departure.”

“Oh.” The Seeker blinked. He hadn't expected Shockwave’s interest in his project to be so genuine. “Well, what do you want to know?”

Perceptor exchanged a glance with Skyfire as the other two scientists began talking earnestly about the project. “Shall I actually help load your supplies?”

“Yes, please.” Skyfire transformed carefully into his shuttle form and opened his cargo bay. “Otherwise we may miss today’s departure window and be forced to wait on the storms developing to our west to pass.”

“And Star will be insufferable if we allow that to happen.” The red mech chuckled softly and moved to the first crate of supplies. “Brawl, if I could acquire your assistance in lifting this generator?”

“Uh, sure!” One of the military mechs stepped forward and they began loading Skyfire’s bay.

 

 

“You should rest.” Starscream settled into the seat behind Skyfire’s secondary control panel--the one he hadn’t installed until he and Star had moved from laboratory partners to romantic partners. Despite the Seeker’s sometimes acidic personality, there was no one else he had ever trusted to pilot him when he was in defragmentation mode. “I can manage navigation long enough for a defrag cycle.”

“I am certain that you can,” the shuttle replied. “Though I doubt that Onslaught's team would allow us to stray far from our course.”

“Very true. If only so that Blast Off can continue flirting with you.”

“He was not flirting, Starscream. I told you that exchanging maps is a cultural tradition.”

“Yes, yes. So that you can always find your way home. Primus, Skyfire, I was teasing you. I _know_ he’s not your type.”

Skyfire sighed. “Tease me when I have the processing power to keep up, then. Apparently you were right about needing a rest cycle.”

“Then defrag and I’ll take care of you. I can be possessive and jealous when we’re on the ground, anyway.” Starscream laughed softly and ran one hand affectionately over the control panel. “Rest well.”

 

The trip was long and when they finally arrived at the planet where they would harvest their specimens and begin the testing, Starscream looked at the blue-white ball with undisguised horror. “What happened down there? This whole planet was _green_ in those scans you brought back!”

“Clearly what we both assumed was simply polar ice was indicative of much more severe climate change. Though how it progressed so quickly is beyond me.” Skyfire sounded disappointed. “Do you think any of the bacteria we came to collect survived?”

“Possibly.” The Seeker drummed his fingers on the console briefly. “Let me out to do a flyover and I can look for likely places where they might have survived. My sensors are more likely to find organic lifeforms that small.”

“Very true. However, we need to keep Onslaught and his team involved in our plans, too.” The shuttle sighed. “The last thing I want is a fight with a mechanism who is _that_ well armed.”

“Hm. You’re probably right. Do you want to call him or shall I?” 

**”Starscream and Skyfire.”**

“Apparently neither of us.” The white and red mech sounded amused. “I”ll put you on the speaker. Yes, Onslaught?”

 **”Your research planet seems to be frozen.”** their bodyguard did not sound amused.

“Yes, climate change. Organic worlds are prone to it,” Starscream replied dismissively, as if he had always known this would be a possibility on this planet.

If he had been in his root form, Skyfire would have kissed the smaller mech for using the subterfuge to keep the peace. “Starscream is correct. Change occurs much more rapidly on an organic world that has no weather regulation than on a mechanical world like Cybertron where we control almost every aspect of our environment.”

**”Yes, I know that. This team _has_ been to organic worlds before. But this planet is far outside the normal parameters, unless Skyfire’s visit was much longer in the past than reported. Are you certain these are the right coordinates?**

Skyfire could feel his partner's hands tightening up in offense, so he replied as quickly as he could before the other mech launched into a tirade at their bodyguards. “Yes, I am quite certain. I spent several solar cycles in orbit taking scans for Starscream.”

 **”Then what happened?”** Onslaught sounded unhappy. **”And is your project even still viable or have we wasted all this time and funding on a dead end?”**

The shuttle paused. “We are uncertain. Starscream believes that some microbes may have survived and we were discussing the possibility of doing a flyover inside the atmosphere using his sensor suite to try and locate them.”

 **”Not for at least a local solar cycle you aren’t.”** Blast Off’s voice broke in, stopping anything Onslaught might have said. **”There is a storm strong enough to take down even our frame type moving across an improbably large portion of the planet.”**

“What?” The unexpected interruption was enough to get Starscream’s attention, and he reached out and turned on more of Skyfire’s sensor suite with the control panel. “Frag me, he’s right. Look at these readouts.”

“I’m looking.” Skyfire shivered. “We wouldn’t have noticed it if he had approached from our current vector.”

 **”But Blast Off is in a higher orbit and did.”** Onslaught sounded smug. **”Fortunately, this gives us time to plan out our next move. So, Starscream, tell me what we’re supposed to be looking for.”**

The Seeker scoffed. “None of you are scientists.”

 **”That’s not true. Vortex is a biologist.”** they could both hear the sarcasm in the team leader’s voice. **”But it doesn’t matter. We are extra optics and hands. We are more useful than as just the hired guns.”**

Starscream sighed loudly. “Fine. We’ll be looking for pockets of warmer air or warmer land masses. Plant life would be a good indicator of what we’re looking for, as would complex multicellular animal life.”

 **”Uh, what’s that?”** Brawl asked.

“He means animals,” Skyfire replied gently. “Like at the nature preserves, but organic.”

 **”Oh! Like those fluffy things Tex liked on Vanguard!”**

**”Aw, those were the best!”** They could hear the smile in Vortex’s voice when he joined the conversation. 

**”Gentlemechs!”** Onslaught sounded irritated and Starscream smirked, glad these weren’t his subordinates. **”If we could please return to the task at hand!”**

 **”Sure, Ons.”** Vortex was clearly still smiling. **”We know how you hate to go in without a plan.”**

 

“It’s colder than Unicron’s spike out here!” Vortex, lacking all of the playful banter he had kept up during the cycle in orbit, pulled one of the thermal blankets from the supply crate and wrapped it around as much of his shoulders and rotor hub as it would cover. “How the frag long do we have to be here?”

Starscream turned and glared at the rotary. “We’ll be here as long as it takes us to collect the data we need in the bacteria’s native environment. And if you keep complaining that will be at least a vorn!”

“Yeah, but…” Vortex ducked as a stylus flew at his head. “Look, I’m just going to go help Brawl set up the shelters. And the heaters.”

“Yes, do that. And _get out_ of my work space.”

“Right, right. Primus.” The purple and grey mech mech turned away and stomped through the snow toward his teammate. He passed close to Skyfire as he walked away, though, and remarked sarcastically, “How do you managed to put up with him every day?”

“Rather like Onslaught puts up with you, I imagine.” The white and red shuttle didn’t even bother to look up from his work. “When you and Brawl have finished with the shelters, please tell him that Starscream needs his help with installing the electron microscope.”

“Why can’t you do it? I saw you lift that thing one handed.”

“Vortex.” Onslaught looked away from the perimeter he had been watching and pinned his subordinate with a flat stare. “Go finish putting up the shelters and send Brawl back. He’s already proven himself more useful on this job than you, just by getting along with the scientists.”

“Fine, whatever. We’re going to have a _talk_ later, Ons.” Vortex continued his trek to the shelters that Brawl was putting up.

Onslaught turned his visored gaze on the shuttle. “You and Blast Off have approximately fifteen groons until dark. I want both of you back on the ground at the research station by then. We don’t know what new dangers might be out there, and we can’t protect you from what we can’t predict.”

“Of course, Onslaught.” Skyfire smiled, then glanced at his partner, who was scraping samples of snow into a container. “Please make sure he has at least one cube of energon before we come back. He always forgets once he’s gotten started on a project.”

“His friend Perceptor is the same way.” The security team leader gave the impression of smirking. “Fortunately I can be very pushy when I need to be.”

“Good.” The white and red mech smiled again. “Tell him that I’m setting the atmospheric trackers, if he realizes I've left.”

 

Skyfire looked over the roughly cut blocks of ice--layered and filled with a surprising amount of preserved organic organisms aside from Starscream’s target bacteria--and nodded at the two mechs who had helped harvest them. “For not having proper coring tools, you did extremely well. Thank you Brawl and Vortex.”

“It’s fragging boring here.” The rotary shrugged. “It was something to do.”

“It was fun!” Brawl punched his teammate in the arm. “You know you liked it. You want me to get more? I’ve got a lot of blasters, so I don't have to fix the settings on this one til we’re on the way back home.”

The shuttle considered the mech’s offer. Starscream’s future research could be helped tremendously by having more organic samples to study back on Cybertron, but their cold storage space was very limited. “I think not today, Brawl. But don’t fix your blaster just yet; we’ll end up destroying at least a few of these samples to extract the bacteria.”

“Aw, how come you have to do that?” Brawl seemed upset at the idea.

“Well, we have to melt the ice to get to the bacteria. The resulting dihydrogen monoxide will be otherwise useless for this project and we don’t have the space to take it home.” Skyfire tried not to sound like he was dismissing the green mech’s concerns. “If we had come better prepared for this kind of research, Starscream and I would not have to melt all your hard work.”

“Who fragging cares. It’s just ice.” Vortex turned and started to walk away. “It’s not like the whole planet isn’t covered in it. Get a grip, Brawl.”

Brawls shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I guess.”

Skyfire frowned. “There is nothing wrong with valuing your own work.”

“It’s just stupid work for a stupid bot. I ought to know better than to get excited.” Brawl reached down and picked up a ice core. “Where we going to keep these?”

“This work is not less important just because we don’t get to keep it.” Skyfire also picked up a core and held it up so that the shorter mech could see it. “If you hadn’t known how to reset your blaster to emit such a small, cool beam then Star and I would have nothing to study. Then the expedition would fail and Starscream would probably never be able to get funding for an offworld project again. Your ice is important.”

“As important as Blast Off’s atmosphere sensors?”

“At least twice as important.” It was an exaggeration large enough to be a lie, but it was worth it to see his bodyguard’s posture lift back up. “Now, we should get these sorted and stored. Some of these have lifeforms beyond our expectations.”

“Oh! I can get you more of those if you want! There’s a whole big group of animals frozen at the top of the hill!”

“Oh? I would like to see the site, once we have these samples stored.”

 

“Skyfire, come and look at this.”

Skyfire looked up from the data he was attempting to organize. “Look at what, Star?”

“This!” The Seeker gestured toward his microscope. “Hurry up before they stop!”

“Before they stop what?” The white and red mech moved from his workstation to his partner’s. “What are they doing?”

“They're devouring the rust! They're not even the same bacteria you found before and they’re devouring the rust!” The smaller mech stepped away from the microscope and gestured impatiently for the larger mech to look. “Even if this is all they ever do, these bacteria will be invaluable in environmental recovery! And think of the medical applications!”

Skyfire bent down to the viewscreen on the microscope and peered intently at the microorganisms while his partner talked. As he watched, they broke down a small speck of oxidized metal and began metabolizing it. “Fascinating! It seems that your theory, at least, was correct. So far, I've done little more than refine my previous wind power design.”

“Even that is progress, you know. But we both said that even if only one of us was right then the project would be a success.”

“So we did. And as long as we can successfully breed them on Cybertron, then we will have that success.” Skyfire looked up and smiled. “Congratulations, Star.”

“Save your congratulations until we know for certain.” Starscream crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Senator Shockwave may have funded this expedition, but we still have to work with the board in the future.”

That the Seeker and his reputation could not afford a failure went unsaid.

“This _is_ a success, my Star.” Skyfire turned and gathered the smaller mech into a hug. “Nothing those short sighted bigots say will make this discovery less of one.”

“Stop that. I'm trying to be upset with them.”

“And if I allow that, you might miss any interesting things your bacteria are doing.” The larger mech tipped his head down and pressed a kiss to the top of the Seeker’s head. 

“Fine, be sensible.” Starscream looked up at his partner with a faint smile. “Besides, I should save my irritation for spending another night in that cabin with Vortex. How I haven't killed him in his recharge yet is beyond me.”

 

 **”The atmospheric sensors are showing another ice storm blowing in from the west.”** Skyfire was vaguely aware of Blaster Off’s voice crackling through the the research outpost’s speaker system. **”It _will_ reach the outpost in fewer than five groons. You have four to pack before I land, unless you want to be frozen on this rock.”**

“How big is this storm?” Rather than sounding as bored as he had been for the entire trip, Vortex sounded worried and a little nervous. That more than anything else pulled the white and red mech away from the potential biofuel the remaining local plant life seemed to break down into.

**”Four, maybe five times larger than the one we observed on arrival. Even in the shelter, you will all freeze into stasis before it's over.”**

“Frag that!” Vortex turned from the speaker and pinned the scientist with a hard stare. “You heard the mech, Skyfire. Four groons to pack up and get out. Get your samples together.”

“Of course. Will you inform Starscream while I pack things up?”

“ _Frag._ Yeah, pack and I'll get your pain in my aft partner. Otherwise Brawl or Onslaught will break all your slag and the Shockwave will send us _back_ to this Pit.”

“I appreciate your enlightened self-interest.” Skyfire gave the rotary a half-smile. “We will be as ready as possible when Blast Off arrives.”

“Good.” Vortex stepped away from the workstation as Skyfire began removing the specimen slides from the microscope. “Ons! Brawl! Blast Off says we're fragged in four groons!”

There was some commotion from the field where Brawl had been cutting more ice cores, but Skyfire tuned it out and focused on securing the research that _must_ before saved.

 

“Go away, I'm working.” Starscream didn't even look away from his project as Vortex stepped into the shelter.

“Doesn't matter. Pack up. We dust off in three point seven five groons.” The rotary began pulling supplies off the shelves and throwing them into their transport containers. “I already wasted twenty joors looking for you, so get your slag together.”

“We aren't scheduled to leave for another ten solar cycles. Don't think you can bully me into finishing early just because you don't like it here.”

“I knew I should have made Skyfire do this.” Vortex threw an empty specimen jar onto the ground, hard enough to break it and get the Seeker’s full attention. Just as Starscream turned to yell at him, the rotary held up a finger to silence him. “There is a storm coming, bigger than what we've weathered in here before. Blast Off says we're scrap if we stay. So get your slag together, because I am not freezing to deactivation on this miserable little rock!”

“Oh please. As if any of you _military_ mechs have any idea what a storm like that would even look like.” The scientist scoffed. “Get out of here and away from my supplies. If I'm feeling forgiving, I might let you back in for recharge.”

“I knew I should have packed sedatives for this trip.” Quickly, Vortex darted forward and wrapped both arms around Starscream’s waist. The Seeker screeched as he was lifted up off the floor, and he kicked at the grey mech’s shins as he was carried to the door. “If it were up to me, you'd freeze in there with your precious research. But if you go missing, we get fired and I kind of like this job. So quit kicking me when I'm saving your life!”

“Is there a problem?” Skyfire looked up from a storage crate as Vortex stepped into the biting wind with Starscream. 

“Yeah, he's a slag crusted exhaust pipe who doesn't listen. Take him, before he starts doing damage.”

“Starscream, why are you fighting?” The shuttle stood up and crossed the distance between them quickly. “We have limited time to safely leave the surface before the storm hits.”

Starscream stopped kicking and stared at his partner. “Wait, he's telling the truth?”

“Oh for--!” Vortex dropped the Seeker back onto the ground and shoved him into Skyfire’s arms. “Frag him, frag you and frag this job. I'm packing to leave; you deal with him.”

With a sigh, the shuttle nodded. “Star, we don’t have much time, so please stop.arguing and pack the things we must save. We can duplicate the research thanks to our samples, but I cannot duplicate you.”

“You would be a fool to even try.” Starscream mock-punched his partner in the chest. “next time, don't send a messenger who has spent the entire trip begging to leave.”

“It was that or let Brawl pack the live samples.”

“Oh! Oh, Primus, my bacteria!” Starscream’s optics went wide. “How are we going to keep them alive during the trip?”

 

Once they were safely in orbit, Skyfire and Blast Off recorded weather and atmosphere data until the storms knocked their sensor network offline. Neither of them had seen weather patterns on an organic world like this before, and even the military shuttle was curious enough to want the meteorology specialists to look the data over.

Once the final senor stopped transmitting, they broke orbit and turned back toward Cybertron. 

**”Do you think it'll be like that forever?”** Brawl asked over the comm. Skyfire and Starscream could both hear Vortex’s sigh in the background. 

“Well, it is fairly close to its sun,” the white and red shuttle replied. “It is possible that this particular… ice age is what you xenobiologists call it, correct?”

“Yes,” the Seeker replied. “And they are typically temporary, though they can last hundreds of even our vorns.”

**”Oh. Think maybe we can come back someday and see?”**

“Perhaps. But not soon, and not without a cargo pod filled with environmental supplies.” Starscream smirked. “I may not have screeched about it like Vortex, but I am not precisely insulated for frozen planets.”

**”Maybe your friend Perceptor can come too! I bet he'd like it!”**

**”Brawl, sit down and shut up!”** Vortex snapped. **”You don't even understand half of what's going on when they start talking science.”**

**”Not, but I'm learning stuff, which is better than just being grumpy all the time!”**

Starscream shook his head as the two military mechs began arguing. “Despite this, they're probably the best assistants we've ever had.”

“I wouldn't tell that to the senator,” Skyfire replied. “Unless you want Vortex assigned to all of our expeditions in the future.”

“I'd rather have an armless drone.”

 

_”Star, this is supposed to be a progress report and an essay on our discoveries, not a diary!”_

_“This is more interesting.”_

_“We are supposed to educate our peers, not give Skywarp an entertainment lit.”_

_“Writing it the other way was boring. You write the dry academy paper, if it's so important.”_

_“It is important, Star! Our next bit of funding depends on this paper!”_

_“Well then, I know it will be top notch and that I will still receive proper credit. While you work on that, I will feed my bacteria and water those plants you managed to grow. And then Shockwave wants to talk to you about this potential organic based fuel you discovered.”_


End file.
